Babygirl

Babygirl, directed by Halina Reijn (Bodies Bodies Bodies), may seem, on the surface, like one of those erotic thrillers in the vein of Fatal Attraction, with a gender-reversed twist. The plot follows Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman), the CEO of a successful tech company, who leads an apparently perfect life: she is married to a devoted husband (Antonio Banderas) and has two daughters. However, she risks losing everything when she gets involved in a sexual relationship with Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a young intern at the company. The film goes beyond the erotic aspect of the relationship to explore more complex issues, on one hand, the psychology of Romy. On the other hand, it interestingly develops the power dynamics between genders and across generations, much beyond the sexual realm, also exploring the intersections between family and work life. It takes a different, much more complex route than typical sexual thrillers and has a lot to say about female desire within the complexities of a moralistic social system, all driven by a monumental performance from Nicole Kidman.